TOPIC: Film Club Saturday 15th November The Guard

This month's Film Club presentation is John Michael McDonagh's, The Guard, starring Brendon Gleeson in title role and Don Cheadle.
Set primarily in Galway in the West of Ireland, the film tells the tale of an 'unconventional' country policeman (or Gard) who becomes involved in an FBI investigation into a cocaine smuggling operation when one of the smugglers is found murdered on his patch.
The film is full of eccentric and hilarious characters: the drug smugglers themselves (Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham and Mark Wilmot) who quote philosopers to eachother and are depressed at the sort of people they have to deal with in the drug smuggling game; the couple who refuse to talk to the FBI man in anything but Gaelic; the little lad who finds caches of IRA weapons when out 'walking' his dog on his pushbike and the IRA man who tells Gleeson's characters that they had gays in the IRA because, 'it was the only way we could infiltrate the MI5!'.
I am at a loss to know why there wasn't a bigger reaction to this movie when it came out. I still find it quite hilarious - (and very Irish) - and it has an ending that keeps you guessing into the bargain.
Sex, violence, jokes, interference with corpses; the films got the lot. As the FBI man says to Brendon Gleeson's character 'I still can't decide whether you're relly smart, or really dumb.' There's no doubt in my mind.

Re: Film Club Saturday 15th November The Guard
3 years, 9 months ago #2

Film Nights were set up partly to utilise the bar on those Saturdays when no show or social event was taking place. Whereas, we don't wish to prevent anyone else from using the bar on film nights, we would like to stress that most (if not all) of the members present are there to see the film and would politely request that if you wish to use the bar while the film is showing, you refrain from talking or going in and out of the bar room unnecessarily.

Obviously, once the film is over you can make as much noise as you like, within reason. You may even like to join in with the lively conversation that often follows our film presentations.

If you are coming to see the film, please try to be on time (8pm). We normally allow a few minutes for latecomers but we like to start as close to time as possible so that we get maximum drinking time afterwards.